Research has shown that people who consumed a larger amount of caffeine through drinking tea or coffee had significantly improved physical performance as they aged. This research was conducted based on information collected from over 12,000 people between the ages of 45 and 74 over a 20-year period.
The people were interviewed for the first time between 1993 and 1998 at an average age of 53 using a structured questionnaire.
During these interviews, subjects were asked about their consumption habits of caffeinated beverages, including soft drinks, tea, and coffee, as well as portion size and frequency of caffeinated foods consumed, including chocolate.
Information on sleep duration, physical activities, dietary habits, height and weight, medical history, and sociodemographic characteristics was also provided.
During the second follow-up interviews between 2006 and 2010, people were asked to document their weight and other information. In the third and follow-up interviews between 2014 and 2017, when the people were on average 73 years old, they were asked to document their weight again and were also asked a specific question: “Do you feel full of energy?”
Handgrip strength and the time required to complete the timed up-and-walk (TUG) test were also assessed. At least 2 of the 4 factors were classified as physical frailty
1. Weight loss defined as more than 10% weight loss between the 2nd and 3rd follow-up visits.
2. Exhaustion defined as a yes answer.
3. Slowness defined as the slowest TUG quintile.
4. Weakness determined by the weakest quintile of handgrip strength.
Tea and coffee were the main sources of caffeine consumption among these participants, accounting for 12% and 84% of total caffeine, respectively. Overall, 68.5% of them consumed coffee daily. In this group, 52.9% consumed one cup daily, 42.2% drank 2 to 3 cups daily, while the other 4.9% consumed 4 or more cups daily.
People were then divided into four categories based on their coffee consumption: non-drinkers, one cup daily, 2 to 3 cups daily, and 4 or more cups daily.
Tea consumers were divided into four categories based on their consumption frequency: never, at least once a month, at least once a week, and daily drinkers.
The results showed that consuming coffee, green or black tea in midlife was independently associated with a significantly lower risk of physical frailty later in life. People who consumed four or more cups of coffee daily had a significantly lower risk of physical frailty later in life compared to people who did not drink coffee every day.
People who consumed green or black tea daily also had a significantly lower risk of physical frailty compared to non-tea drinkers.
Caffeine consumption and risk of physical frailty later in life were further investigated. Higher caffeine consumption was associated with a lower risk of physical frailty, regardless of caffeine source.
Of the four physical frailty factors, the associations were stronger for the TUG and handgrip strength tests than for the self-reported fatigue and weight loss measures.
In studies on mice, caffeine was found to increase muscle cell proliferation and improve muscle weight.
In addition to caffeine, tea and coffee also provide rich bioactive polyphenols, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and have been linked to a reduced risk of diseases that increase frailty, including neurodegenerative diseases, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
However, further scientific studies are needed to determine the actual underlying mechanisms of the relationship between tea/coffee and human body function.
Research suggests that consumption of these caffeinated drinks may be associated with a lower risk of physical frailty later in life.
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